| Martynivka Treasure | |
|---|---|
 Part of the Martynivka hoard on display in theBritish Museum | |
| Material | Silver and precious stones |
| Created | 6th–7th centuries AD |
| Period/culture | Slavs |
| Present location | National Historical Museum of Ukraine andBritish Museum |
| Identification | 1912,0610.1-22 (BM) |
Martynivka Treasure (Ukrainian:Мартинівський скарб,romanized: Martynivs'kyj skarb) is a hoard consisting of 116 silver items (weighing about 3.3 kg) found in 1909, in the village ofMartynivka,Cherkasy Oblast,Ukraine. The treasure is currently preserved at theNational Historical Museum of Ukraine inKyiv and theBritish Museum in London.[1] It is dated approximately to the 6th–7th centuries AD.
Historians proposed different theories for the culture which this treasure could have belonged. The most popular hypothesis connects this hoard withPenkovka culture andKolochin culture usually associated with theAntes.[2]
The hoard includes four anthropomorphic silver figurines of 'dancing men' (Ukrainian newspapers sometimes refer to them as 'aliens' for their unusual appearance[3]), five animal figurines, three fibulas, a radiate-head brooch, six armlets, tiaras, ear rings, neck rings, buckles, belt-fittings and horse harnesses. The style of figurines is sometimes considered as influenced byHuns,Bulgars orAvars.[4]